Worldwide executions doubled in 2001

During 2001 over 3,048 people were executed in 31 countries, Amnesty International said today. The figure was more than twice the total of 1,457 executions recorded in 2000.

Releasing its statistics for the number of worldwide executions carried out during 2001, Amnesty International called on the United Nations Commission on Human Rights to take strong action against the death penalty at its annual session, currently in progress in Geneva, and to establish a universal moratorium on executions.

The dramatic increase in worldwide executions was due to the intensified use of the death penalty in China after the government launched a national "strike hard" campaign against crime. Between April and July 2001 alone at least 1,781 people were executed in that country -- more than the total number of people executed in the rest of the world in the previous three years.

More information:

- Amnesty International Press Release (09/04/2002)

- Amnesty International Website Against the Death Penalty

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Date of publication: 10/04/2002

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